So, you’ve heard me mention in a previous post that investing in a corporate event planner is a wise decision. However, even with additional support, you still need to carve out time to work on your corporate event plan. While bringing in external team members can significantly lighten the load, it’s essential to know what to expect when engaging with them throughout the life of your corporate event planning process. In today’s post, I’m sharing 3 tips to help you manage your time effectively for a seamless event experience.

1. Treat Your Event Like a Project

At SwaLaRue Events, our formula for managing events has always been rooted in project management principles. Why? Because events are ultimately projects—they have a finite scope, defined objectives by stakeholders, and a series of milestones and tasks that must be completed to ensure success. If you hire a corporate event planner (like us) to execute your corporate event plan, the process will closely mirror that of any other project.

Expect a kick-off call, stakeholder analysis, discovery meetings, a detailed project plan, production schedule, task delegation, and status update meetings. By incorporating a project management approach into your event planning, you’ll find the process much more organized, structured, and stress-free.

2. Decide on a Routine Schedule for Updates

This tip is essential, especially if you’re integrating a corporate event planner into your existing team. Perhaps your HR department, customer experience team, or social event committee is responsible for executing the event, with the corporate event planner leading the charge. Setting a routine schedule for updates ensures that everyone stays aligned and informed.

Establish a bi-weekly or weekly check-in to provide updates on due-outs, tasks, and deliverables. This consistent communication allows both your internal team and external resources to stay organized and manage their workload efficiently. With regular check-ins, everyone will be prepared to provide updates, keeping your corporate event plan on track.

3. Make Time for Vendor Negotiations

Securing vendors for your event is crucial, but it requires strategic planning. Vendors typically have specific times of day or days of the week when they are most available to follow up on RFPs (Requests for Proposal), conduct consultations, or schedule walkthroughs. To ensure progress on your **corporate event plan**, block off time on your calendar for vendor discussions.

From my experience, scheduling conversations between 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM often works best for vendors. These windows allow for more productive meetings and quicker responses. Additionally, be patient when waiting for feedback on RFPs—giving vendors a reasonable response window (not less than a week) ensures that they have enough time to thoroughly review and respond to your requests.

Final Thoughts

Finding time for event planning doesn’t have to be overwhelming, but it is crucial for ensuring success. By treating your event as a project, setting routine updates, and making time for vendor negotiations, you’ll have all the pieces in place to execute your corporate event plan* seamlessly.

Do you need help allocating enough time for your corporate event plan? Schedule a consultation with us today, and let’s discuss how we can help you create a timeline that ensures your event’s success!